Homeroom change up

As most upperclassmen know there has been a change to the 20-minute block many have called LAB. Now there has been a change, but LAB, now homeroom, has not just been changed via name.

Many students do not realize these changes whether the rules have not been made to accommodate a club they are in, or to bring notice to teachers and students. Multiple students were unaware of this and or did not know all of the rules which were changed.

So, what are the rules and how did they come into play?

“Well first of all these changes were done at a round table last spring,” Said Kevin O’Rourke, principal of Lebanon Senior high school.

The round table is an event and meeting held during the spring where students are permitted to meet and share their opinions, which is where the changes were made for homeroom.

“Teachers, students, and even some parents were involved in this change- I encourage any students to be a part of this meeting, they should definitely get involved, especially if there’s a change in policy they want to see. We wanted to see if we could simplify the process a little bit- one of the changes was simply calling it home room… If you look at the former policy there is about two pages, in this newer policy there’s maybe half a page,” O’Rourke stated.

The new policy now only has 12 procedures and or policies- whereas the old form had 31.

“(and) A lot of it was simply taking out words and language to give a clear idea of what the rules were for students. This change is 100% in the student’s favor, so we took away grades and discipline being a deciding factor of whether or not they could leave homeroom… We’re going to treat homeroom like a classroom if a student doesn’t handle the responsibility then we will restrict their privileges. This is so we can put opportunity and responsibility on the students and show that they can handle their privileges.” O’Rourke ends with.

Not too bad, right? As previously stated teachers now allow students to go and seek help with teachers whether or not they have low grades or tardiness. This is because students and staff believe their fellow peers deserve equal treatment and equal chances to learn and gain experience during their high school career. These rules were mainly placed to benefit the students-especially those who are in plenty of clubs. Our homeroom mission statement goes as such: “Homeroom is a time that is instructed to improve and promote student academic performance, to build a sense of school community and culture, to provide an opportunity for clubs and organizations to meet, and to provide opportunities for personal enrichment.” Not to mention any kids juggling so many activities can use this time during the day for homework and going to speak with teachers.

“It helps me a lot because there are times my teachers do not have prep during study hall, so it gives me a chance to meet them, it also helps me with my schedule.” Is what sophomore Megan Nelson, a member of multiple clubs, sports, and musical arts programs said when asked how homeroom time benefited her.

Also instead of being restricted to using the bathroom only during passing periods lab can be used for restroom breaks as well. As previously stated by Mr. O’ Rourke, these changes were made by students for students, to benefit and accommodate to our fellow peers. It is important that we as a school remind ourselves of the hard work performed by the students, staff, and parents involved in the round table.